


Feeding the pack

by Chi_Chi_Tan



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chi_Chi_Tan/pseuds/Chi_Chi_Tan
Summary: A story about Yuri that I wrote a while ago. I'm not super experienced, so any help is appreciated.
Kudos: 4





	Feeding the pack

The Hanged Man

A symbol seen within divination rituals, both amatuer and professional. Every true oracle and old crone on the street corner uses such a symbol when predicting the future. The man, said to be hanging from a wooden plank by one ankle with a solemn stare blazened on his face, was said to represent self-sacrifice. One who hangs himself so those who follow will not meet his same fate. The stoic and unflinching visage of the man who hangs appears in many games of cards and chance as well. Many a bored mercenary, sailor or dastardly rogue knows of the man who hangs as a trump card, as the one who draws it gains an upper hand within the game. Nobody envies this man, but all thank him for his deeds. No symbol better suits the man given the name Yuri Leclerc. The man who gives more than he gets, the crow who flies openly through the night. But is he really the free bird many paint him as?

The moon’s height is the time Yuri enjoys the most. The soft moonlight gliding down to the hills and rivers of Fodlan like a glow of the divine entities that bask the land in its warmth, even in the cold darkness of night. However, Yuri knows there’s places where even the Goddess’s light wouldn’t dare touch. Places where the scum of Fodlan crawl and writhe like disgusting animals and savage beasts, where the lowest of human society subsist. Brigands and bandits, dirty and often dim witted bastards who spill the blood of those who don’t deserve it for pure enjoyment. These beasts live between the peaks of the Oghma mountains, leaving an obvious trail of charred villages and rotting corpses wherever they’ve been. No normal person would pass through this area, but Yuri was no normal man. Under the moon’s pale glow and the gaze of the watchful stars above, Yuri silently and stealthy made his way up the mountain pass. The sly grin, sleek purple hair and freshly touched up eyeshadow was his staple look. Where normal men trudged up these rugged trails, Yuri strided, light and quiet on his feet with a confidence not found on many who make this journey. 

The city of Abyss subsisted on supply from the outside, as there isn’t much that can grow in the chasms under Garreg Mach. Yuri knew that, after spending his days locked in the catacombs under the monastery. Supply was short, especially during the cold months of winter. When the harvests were poor, folks didn't eat. The bodies of those who starved to death lying on the dimly lit streets of Abyss sent chills down every citizen’s spine. Any rogue, outlaw, poor mother or child could die from lack of food. The underground city couldn’t support such large influxes of people during these seasons, causing such mass death. Whole villages of people, now made homeless due to their village being burnt to the ground by bandits or sadistic military officials, flocked into Abyss after failing to gain asylum from the Church of Seiros. The Church only had so much space and so many resources, so many were marooned in the vast and sprawling streets of Abyss. Though large groups of people would arrive, most would not survive to see the spring. The image of the corpses being tossed into the seemingly bottomless ravines outside of town was seared into Yuri’s mind. No one was safe, the strongest of warriors, the fairest of maidens, the most innocent of children, anyone could be thrown as a lifeless corpse into the eternal darkness. Goddess forbid one of those corpses be one of his friends, someone he loved and cared for. Such a thought stung him through many a night. Yuri thought of Abyssians as his wolf pack, being the most well off and the most cunning, tactical and capable, Yuri had to provide for his family. 

The reason he was here on this mountain path in the darkest hours of the night? He overheard some burly men at the bar discussing a bandit stronghold in the Oghma mountains. It was said to have many rare, but stolen items stored within its stone walls. They seemed rather sure of themselves for ones who just finished having a “friendly” brawl. One of them even had a rather crudely drawn map poking out of their back pocket, seemingly showing the location of this abandoned Imperial fort turned pit for bandit’s to thrive. It sounded like the perfect place to grab some easy money, and goddess knows Abyss needed money right now. Yuri couldn’t help but take the map, his quick and dexterous hands snagged the old piece of parchment right out from beneath them. He wasn’t stealing it, just “borrowing it permanently” as Yuri tended to say. Yuri could use it a lot more than those drunkards could. The journey wouldn’t be too long, quick and easy. He’ll be back in a matter of three nights with a surplus of food and medicine. The morning after, Yuri set out on his mission. He took some food, warm furs, a steel short blade and a large sack to carry his goods and to use as a sleeping bag. He’d spent more nights than one could count sleeping on the cold dirt and stone of Faerghus’s city streets, what could one more do to him? Of course, Yuri couldn’t forget his relic. The Fetters of Dromi, a set of chains that he would wear on his left hand, granting him unparalleled dexterity and speed. Bandits were slower than slow, but you could never be too careful. Slipping the glove-like apparatus on, he slipped out of his dorm, careful not to wake the big guy, and slinked down the street towards the exit. On his way out, Yuri saw a homeless mother with two young boys. The mother and the younger child were asleep, but it seemed Yuri’s footsteps woke up the older child. When the boy looked up at Yuri, the purple haired trickster smiled at him.

“Don’t worry kid, the Alpha takes care of the cubs. You’ll be alright, I promise.”

The journey to the stronghold was quick and easy. A simple path through the mountains, and bandits aren’t the most subtle with their havoc and wreckage. With only one, uneventful yet freezing night spent under the stars, Yuri had quickly reached his destination. Sure enough, there it was, an abandoned fort nestled between the mountains. The Imperial banners still stood on the entrance, though they became tattered and worn over the years. Yuri slunk into the heavy shadow of a large oak tree and took a few minutes to analyze the outer facade of the fort. Two big, burly oafs out front, but no guards up on the wall. This was going to be a piece of cake, no doubt. The Ashen Wolf got low to the ground and swiftly dashed towards the right wall of the fortress, slipping silently behind the wall. The two guards at the front didn’t even notice any movement from Yuri’s previous position. Though, the two bandits seemed embroiled in their awfully loud conversation about their ideal woman. 

“Heh, yeah. That’s rather wishful thinking.” Yuri thought before letting out a tiny laugh. 

The young man looked towards his left hand, the Fetters of Dromi still clutching around his fingers and wrists. It felt somewhat odd, wrapped around his hand the way it was. It bore no weight nor hindrance, feeling as if it was an extension of his body more than a tool he used. As he moved his fingers, the small stone rings fit his fingers perfectly. Almost as if the fetters moved on their own, Yuri’s hand shot up towards a crack in the wall, helping him swiftly climb up the side of the fort, before flipping up off the wall and up onto the empty ramparts without alerting any of the denizens of the crumbling citadel. Peering over the edge into the main portion of the fort, Yuri got a better glimpse of the “guard force” trudging around the now weed infested courtyard. The unlucky brigands who were forced into night watch were rather vocal in their disapproval, grumbling with each step, muttering curses towards their boss and complaints about no sleep. Since they’re so occupied with complaining, Yuri lept from the ramparts of the castle walls to the main fort’s roof across the small courtyard. His fetters acted on their own, lunging Yuri’s hand towards the edge of the roof, giving the thief a clear view of a hole in the wall that used to hold a window. Yuri flung himself down over the edge, keeping his hands on the edge of the roof before slipping into the fort. The temperature didn’t shift much from the outside, probably due to the lack of windows. Yuri didn’t feel bad for them in the slightest, bastards like them who kill for fun deserve to have a chill cut them in their sleep. 

The room Yuri found himself in was a total mess. Items of varying degrees of value were strewn across the two tables and the floor of the room. Though they varied in their ornateness, every item in here was rather valuable. This must be the room they throw all their valuables in, literally throw them in the room. Yuri rubbed his hands together and got to work. Using his relic to increase his speed, Yuri found pieces of gold, jewels and other heirlooms of sorts. These probably belonged to those in the villages he passed, ones who had been cursed by fate to burn with their neighbours. Perhaps some of these valuables belonged to some of the starving Abyss citizens from similarly ruined villages. Yuri tended to not think about such things during missions. He was helping his people, being a leader amongst an unruly and chaotic society, and that was noble enough for him. Still, Yuri kept his smug grin upon his face as he looted the makeshift vault, filling his large sack with anything that would fetch a price. With this many goods of this value, he’d have to explain to the potential seller where he got them. Not many merchants would buy stolen items, so Yuri fabricated a story in his head about him coming across a cave full of treasure up in the southern mountains near Enbarr. It seemed silly, but Yuri had a certain charm and tone of voice that made him seem trustworthy. After the wolf cleaned out the bandit’s vault, he took a look inside his bag. Quite a haul! If he managed his money, and haggled a bit with some merchants he was a regular for, this should last each Abyssian for the entire season, two and a half times over!

“No one’s dying today, I swear it. I won’t have another winter like last year.”

Many folks in Abyss looked up to Yuri, especially the younger ones. He acted so free, so brave! In their eyes, Yuri did what he wanted, when he wanted. A rebel, a charmer and a renegade who would never be chained down by society’s rules and constructs. He was a bird to them, a man unbound with the world as his oyster. One young Adrestian girl living in Abyss calls him her “Black Eagle”, thinking of Yuri as a dauntless and heroic person. But that isn’t the truth, Yuri is no free bird. He’s a caged dove, pushed down into the bowels of society by those who feared him. Many in Abyss had similar circumstances, ones sent to rot in the shadows of Fodlan because of some snobby noble. Yuri hated the thought of young kids being forced out of their homes and forced to live in caves with no light and barely any food. This is why Yuri “hangs himself”, he’s the one who has the capability to do it. A homeless, pennyless, starving mother can’t get food for her children, so Yuri will. It’s all worth it to see the looks of happiness on the Abyssian’s faces, and he’ll admit, admiration is nice too. Perhaps one day, those kids will be Yuri’s age, and they’ll be the “heroes” of Abyss. No use thinking about it now. Yuri’s mind sure does wander in times like this, it’s best to get this job over and done with. 

Yuri tied the top of the sack shut and hopped out the window. He slid down the wall with his hands before landing down in the weed-infested courtyard yet again. Bandits aren’t the best gardeners are they? Unfortunately, worrying about the brigand’s landscaping was the least of Yuri’s immediate problems. Three large sacks of meat that could appear to be human beings stood in front of Yuri as he landed. It didn’t take a scholar to realize that the wolf had robbed them, though it took them a few seconds to realize it. The three bandit’s brandished their rusted and decrepit axes before the one closest to the thief swung in a big, slow and predictable motion. Yuri’s fetters glowed and pulled his left arm towards the side, dodging the downward slash. In one swift series of motions, Yuri set the large sack down, drew his short blade and thrusted it up towards the bandit’s neck. A crimson hue spewed forth from the bandit’s neck, coupled with some rather uncomfortable gurgling noises that Yuri had grown numb to over the years. Just another bottom-feeding brute getting what he deserved, that’s all Yuri saw in these sorry blobs of meat and flesh. An elegant spin and a deft slash towards bandit number two’s torso sent him tumbling towards the dirt. His left hand snatched the bag off of the ground as Yuri made a mad dash for the main gate. The remaining bandit called out across the courtyard, feebly chasing after the man who was two and half times faster than him.

“Stop that girl! Get that thief!”

Yuri couldn’t help but chuckle. “Girl? Rather dense, are you? Well, I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The bandit was winded before Yuri even reached the gate. As the wolf made his way closer and closer to freedom, the two guards out front turned to confront the trespasser. More rusty axes with boorish combat maneuvers, this was getting easier by the minute. The two synced up their overhead blows, swinging down on Yuri. His fetters glowed once more, pulling him to the right and out of their range. The two axes slammed into the dirt, and with two swift slashes on the backs of their necks, followed by two sharp screams, the bandits slammed into the dirt like the others who met the same end. Yuri chuckled before darting out the main gate, sack in tow. Out into the night he ran, the faint yells of the bandit fortress growing quieter and quieter until only the silence of the night could be heard. As the moon stayed looming over him, Yuri found a tree a while away from the scene he created and stopped to catch his breath. The cold air came back and sliced through him once more. He sat down and leaned against the leafless tree, shivering in the night’s winter air. He couldn’t sleep, at least not here. Those oafs could find him, and though he left little of a trail, he could take no chances. He needed these jewels, Abyss needed these jewels. 

In this moment, Yuri’s mind focused on the symbol of the Hanged Man. He’d seen it many times, in taverns when he wished to get some extra cash through card games. It was his lucky card, the card that let him and his birth family eat more nights than he could count. Some of the older folks in Abyss called him “The Hanged Man of Abyss”. It seems like an odd compliment, but it meant much to Yuri. He provided much for them, he gave up so much for them. With each slit bandit throat, with each close scrape, with each and every lie he sacrificed for their sake. But to see the smiling faces of those in Abyss, the bright smiles and happy children in the city wrapped in shadow and cold stone, that was the greatest prize. He was the alpha wolf, alpha wolves take care of the cubs. Yuri stood up from his resting place, and began his journey back to Garreg Mach, hands stained with blood and the weight of Abyss on his shoulders.


End file.
